Angola's reach appears to go beyond its regional scope. Its government was able to extract dividends from UNITA's loss of international influence, by either conserving ties or simply by sponsoring regime change in those countries which supported the latter. Having successfully broadened its contacts, today, almost a decade after the demise of Jonas Savimbi, Angolan foreign policy has grown out of its civil war shell, to become not only a well connected player faithful to its past allies, but also an actor capable of influencing regional powers and even the international community itself.